LINEAR PROGRAMMING

SOME IMPORTANT RESULTS/CONCEPTS

Feasible Region -The common region determined by all the constraints including non-negative
constraints x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0 of an LPP.
Feasible Solutions - Points within and on the boundary of the feasible region for an LPP represent
feasible solutions.
Infeasible Solutions - Any Point outside feasible region is called an infeasible solution.
Optimal Solution - Any point in the feasible region that gives the optimal value
(maximum or minimum) of the objective function is called an optimal solution.

Steps to solve LPP by Corner Point Method:

1. After finding feasible region of the LPP, determine its corner points(vertices).
2. Evaluate the objective function Z=ax+ by at each corner point. Let M and m, respectively denote
the largest and smallest values of these points.
3. (i) When the feasible region is bounded, M and m are the maximum and minimum values of Z.
(ii) In case, the feasible region is unbounded, we have:
(a) M is the maximum value of Z, if the open half plane determined by ax+ by >M has no point in
common with the feasible region. Otherwise, Z has no maximum value.
(b) Similarly, m is the minimum value of Z, if the open half plane determined by ax+ by<m has no
point in common with the feasible region. Otherwise, Z has no minimum value.

Steps to solve ISO-Profit/ ISO-Cost Method:

1. As discussed in Corner-Point method, identify the feasible region and extreme (corner) points.
2. Give some convenient values to Z and draw the line so obtained in xy- plane.
3. If the objective function is to be maximized, then draw lines parallel to the line in step 2.
4. Obtain a line which is farthest from the origin and has at least one point common to the feasible
region.
5. If the objective function is to be minimized, then draw lines parallel to the line in step 2 and obtain a
line which is nearest to the origin and has at least one point common to the feasible region.
6. Find the co-ordinates of the common point obtained in step 4(in case of maximum) or step 5(in case
of minimum). The point so obtained determines the optimal solution and the value of the objective
function at these points give the optimal solution.

Short answer questions

1. The feasible region for LPP is shown shaded in the figure.
Let Z = 3 x – 4 y be the objective function, then write the maximum
value of Z .

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2. Write the linear inequations for which the shaded area
in the following figure is the solution set.

3. In figure, the feasible region (shaded) for a LPP is shown. Determine the maximum and minimum
value of Z=x+2y.

4. One kind of cake requires 300 g of flour and 15g of fat, another kind of cake requires 150g of flour
and 30g of fat. Find the maximum number of cakes which can be made from 7.5kg of flour and
600g of fat, assuming that there is no shortage of the other ingredients used in making the cakes.
Make it as an L.P.P.
5. A book publisher sells a hard cover edition of a book for ₹ 72 and a paperback edition for ₹ 40. In
addition to a fixed weekly cost of ₹ 9,600, the cost of printing hardcover and paperback editions are
₹ 56 and ₹ 28 per book respectively. Each edition requires 5 minutes on the printing machine
whereas hardcover binding takes 10 minutes and paperback takes 2 minutes on the binding
machine. The printing machine and the binding machine are available for 80 hours each week.
Formulate the linear programming problem to maximise the publisher’s profit.

Answers
1. 0 2. 5x+4y≤20, x ≥1, y ≥2 3. Max. Z=9 at point Q, Min. Z=22/7 at point S
4. Max Z=x+y subject to 2x + y ≤ 50, x + 2y ≤ 40, x, y ≥ 0
5. Maximum Z=16x + 12y− 9600 Subject to: x + y ≤ 960, 5x + y ≤ 2400, x, y ≥ 0

Long Answer Questions

1. Solve the following Linear Programming Problems graphically:

Maximise Z = 5x + 3y Subject to 3x + 5y ≤ 15, 5x + 2y ≤ 10, x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0.

2. Maximize Z = x + y Subject to constraints: x, y ≥ 0, x – y ≤ -1, x ≥ y

3. Minimize Z = 3x + 5y Subject to constraints: x, y ≥ 0, x + 3y – 3 ≥ 0, x + y – 2 ≥ 0.

4. (Diet problem) A dietician has to develop a special diet using two foods P and Q. Each packet
(containing 30g) of food P contains 12 units of calcium, 4 units of iron, 6 units of cholesterol and 6
units of vitamins A. Each packet of the same quantity of food Q contain 3 units of calcium, 20 units
of iron, 4 units of cholesterol and 3 units of vitamin A. The diet requires at least 240 units of

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 calcium, at least 460 units of iron and at most 300 units of cholesterol. How many packets of each
food are used to minimize the amount of Vitamin A in the diet? What is the minimum amount of
Vitamin A?
5. Anil wants to invest at most Rs12,000 in bonds A and B. According to the rules, he has to invest at
least Rs 2,000 in Bond A and at least Rs4,000 in Bond B. If the rate of interest on Bond A is 8% per
annum and on Bond B is 10% per annum, how should he invest his money for maximum interest?
Solve the problem graphically.
6. A cylinder manufacturer makes small and large cylinders from a large piece of cardboard. The large
cylinder requires 4 sq. m and the small cylinder requires 3 sq. m of cardboard. The manufacturer is
required to make at least 3 large cylinders and at least twice as many small cylinders as large
cylinders. If 60 sq. m of cardboard is in stock, and if the profits on small and large cylinders are Rs.
20 and Rs. 30 per cylinders respectively, how many of each type should be made in order to
maximize the total profit?
7. An aeroplane can carry a maximum of 200 passengers. A profit of Rs400 is made on each first class
ticket and a profit Rs300 is made on each second class ticket. The airline reserves at least 20 seats
for first class. However, at least four times as many passengers prefer to travel by second class then
by first class. Determine how many tickets f each types must be sold to maximize profit for the
airline. Form an LPP and solve it graphically.
8. There is a factory located at each of the two places P and Q .From these locations, a certain
commodity is derived to each of the three depots situated at A, B and C. The weekly requirements
of the depots are respectively 5 ,5 and 4 units of the commodity while the production capacity of the
factories at P and Q are 8 and 6 units respectively. The cost of transportation per unit is given
below:
From/to Costs (in Rs)
A B C
P 16 10 15
Q 10 12 10
How many units should be transported from each factory to each depot in order that the
transportation cost is minimum? Formulate above as a linear programming problem.
9. Solve the following Linear Programming Problem ISO-Profit method. Maximize Z = 15x + 10y
Subject to 4x + 6y ≤ 360, 3x ≤ 180, 5y ≤ 200, x ≥ 0 and y ≥ 0.
10. Solve the following Linear Programming Problem using ISO-Cost method.
Minimize Z = 18x + 10y Subject to 4x + y ≥ 20, 2x + 3y ≥ 30, x ≥ 0 and y ≥ 0.
Answers

1. Maximum Z=235/19 at (20/19, 45/19) 2.No possible feasible region hence Z cannot be maximized
3. Minimum value of Z is 7 when x = 3/2, y = 1/2. 4. 150 units (15, 20) 5. (2000, 10000) maximum
profit is ₹1,160
6. Small Cylinders – 12, Large cylinders – 6, Maximum Profit = Rs. 420
7. ₹ 64,000 at (40,160)
8. Minimize Z = x – 7y + 190 Subject to the constraints: x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0 x + y ≤ 8, x + y ≥ 4, x, y ≤ 5.
9. Maximum Profit obtained is Z = 1100 at x = 60 and y = 20.
10. The minimum value of Z is 134 at x = 3 and y = 8
CASE STUDY

A train can carry a maximum of 300 passengers. A profit of Rs. 800 is made on each executive class and
Rs. 200 is made on each economy class. The IRCTC reserves at least 40 tickets for executive class.
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However, at least 3 times as many passengers prefer to travel by economy class, than by executive class.
It is given that the number of executive class ticket is Rs. x and that of economy class ticket is Rs. y.
Optimize the given problem.

Based on the above information, answer the following questions.

1 The objective function of the LPP is:
(a) Maximise Z = 800x + 200y (b) Maximise Z = 200x + 800y
(c) Minimise Z = 800x + 200y (d) Minimise Z = 200x + 800y
2 Which among these is a constraint for this LPP?
(a) x+y = 300 (b) y ≥ 3x
(c) x ≤ 40 (d) y ≤ 3x
3 Which among these is not a corner point for this LPP?
(a) (40,120) (b) (40, 260)
(c) (30, 90) (d) (75, 225)
4 The maximum profit is:
(a) Rs.56000 (b) Rs. 84000
(c) Rs. 205000 (d) Rs. 105000
5 Which corner point the objective function has minimum value?
(a) (40,120) (b) (40, 260)
(c) (30, 90) (d) (75, 225)
ANSWERS
1 (a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) 5 (a)

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